RRsport

Thanks for your help :-)
will start searching, might end up going to the dealer...

rassi

Plenty of steering wheels on eBay.de Are you looking for a complete one with airbag or just the wheel itself? This one looks nice: Audi A6 A7 4G Leder Sport Lenkrad Multifunktion Tiptronic Schaltwippen KOMPLETT | eBay

RRsport

Thanks rassi, I had a look at the ebay.de, and as you say they have few nice one there. Not sure what a new on at the dealer cost, but I guess it is not far off 700eur?
I was thinking I could use my airbag, but maybe it is easier and safer to get a complete wheel as the one you link to, it the same as I have now, but it much better shape.

rassi

You can easily re-use your airbag, if it is only the steering wheel's leather that is deteriorated.


It would also make the swap much cheaper, and avoid the problem of getting the correct airbag.

Sportstick

With all this discussion about swapping wheels and air bags, please keep in mind that air bags are calibrated to the individual vehicle program, reflecting the crash pulse of the platform. Calibration includes the volume of the bag, the timing of gas fill during deployment, the shape and placement of tethers to help control the fill shape. This can vary with different engines in the same vehicle, as the frontal deformation timing changes when the compartment is more open (4 cylinder) to most occupied by a solid object (8 cylinder). I would be very cautious about using any air bag other than the same part number used by Audi for vehicle compliance of your type vehicle with FMVSS 208.

IknowHuhA6

Hi Sportstick...
Please don't be offended... but would you mind posting link to a reference source where this can be verified. More often than not it's nice to have validation and second look for any information missed... or peace of mind to avoid any buyer's remorse.

Thank you for the post.

rassi

I would be interested in knowing more about this. I understand the logic of having slightly different deformation timing depending on the engine compartment being occupied by a 4 cylinder or 8 cylinder engine, but so would it be if a 4 cylinder A6 was occupied by 5 very heavy gentlemen and a full trunk compared to an 8 cylinder A6 with a driver-only on board.


My point is that Audi presumably have taken into account the various load conditions and have engineered the calibration of the airbag deployment to suit this.


I would personally not be concerned as long as you stick to an A6 airbag (in fact, I installed the flat bottom steering wheel from an S6 in my A6, which for all intent and purposes are similar in weight)

Sportstick

Vehicle cargo/passenger weight is actually not this issue; the engine difference relates to the crush and deformation of the front end with open space versus being filled by a solid object such as an engine block. Force moves through a solid object (you know that toy with steel ***** suspended...pull one back and when it hits, another one four ***** away jumps to the same degree?), while open space allows for force dissipation through crush of the surrounding structures. Therefore, the assumption of calculating an overall "mean" is not founded. Each powertrain family must be individually certified for FMVSS compliance, although it is indeed possible that the overall performance allowed for a common part number. This would need to be researched at an Audi parts department. But, in advance of that, I would not cross air bag parts with different vehicle powertrains.

Sportstick

No offense at all taken! A most reasonable question. My concern is that, given the wisdom of anonymity on the internet, you may not find my answer satisfactory, but I will try.

My career in the auto industry in Detroit started in 1985, and I spent 25 years at one of the "Big 3" before early retiring in 2008, getting bored, and now back at work at a supplier. For six of those years at one of the OEMs, I was a Vehicle Safety Manager, with a staff responsible for working with Engineering to acquire, complete, and submit compliance reports for all vehicle lines as part of the self-certification process for Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, promulgated by NHTSA. Each of my guys had one "series", and the 200 series of standards related to impacts (FMVSS 208=frontal impact; 214=side impact, etc.) usually produced the most discussions, both internally, and for the opportunity to testify in front of then-NHTSA administrator Ricardo Martinez, M.D.

While in this position, we would have ongoing work with the body, structure, and crash technical experts in Engineering, reviewing frame-by-frame film after witnessing repeated impacts at our barrier facility. While I did not have formal engineering education, one listens and learns much over six years. Our engineers dealt with issues related to the shape of the bag and how tethers interacted, the importance of milliseconds related to rate of bag fill. (Test dummy engages bag too soon and injuries are anticipated from the hit of the first surface on the human; engage too late and the dummy can punch through the deflating bag reducing the protective benefit), how to dissipate the heated gases from the sodium azide-based inflation through venting, etc.

It became quite clear that the number of variables involved in calibrating a bag design to a specific platform and powertrain combination was very exacting work. I certainly don't know enough to feel comfortable with changing what the engineers have specified for this particular part. What I feel I do know is to rely on the enormous amount of development work which goes in to the final specifications and only use the specified part number for any safety-related component. This would apply to seat belts as well, which stretch in proper timing sequence for optimal engagement with the inflating bag.

So, I cannot point you to a document, as all the ones I left behind when I retired were proprietary in any case. Take this as you deem it worthwhile. Hope this struck a balance between droning on too long and being interesting and/or helpful.

One last note....if any of you have short-stature folks driving in your families or those who like to sit close and drape their forearms down the steering wheel, get them a good 10 inches from the steering wheel hub surface to their chest wall/sternum, even if pedal blocks needed. You don't want an air bag inflating up under their chin. See "Basilar Skull Fracture".

IknowHuhA6

Sportstick thank you that made perfect sense. I was just curious as to what extent this would be within acceptable standards of deviation when changing steering wheels.

My steering wheel swap was with another model wheel also offered as an alternate option so not a concern... but I can see how swapping wheels not intended for the car could indeed be a factor as you described. Thank you for the background as well regarding your experience with the subject.

By the way.. I sooooo envy your car's build. My dream audi is a moonlight blue exterior with beige interior.